Somme 1916: From Durham to the Western Front 

25 March 2016 - 2 October 2016 

Palace Green Library

100 years on, this commemorative exhibition explored the reality of the Battle of the Somme through the eyes of the people from County Durham who were there. 

During the First World War, battle after battle was fought by the British Army on the Western Front in Belgium and France. A century later, the Battle of the Somme stands out as one of the largest offensives of World War I. With over 1 million casualties, the popular view of the offensive is of brave young soldiers and callous generals, doomed attacks and senseless slaughter. 

But is this view mistaken? What really happened in 1916? 

Somme 1916: From Durham to the Western Front told the stories of the people from County Durham caught up in the battle: the men who fought and died on the battlefield; the women who nursed the wounded and comforted the dying; and the workers who toiled in factories, mines and shipyards across the county to support the war effort. 

Durham University worked in partnership with Durham County Council on this exhibition, which showcased items from the Durham Light Infantry Museum and Archive collections.